President Trump has long sought a foothold in Greenland as a strategic battle for supremacy unfolds in the warming Arctic.
Published September 19, 2026
Denmark has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s “binding” deal that gives Washington “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and keeps Russian and Chinese military bases out of the Arctic.
However, Denmark and Greenland announced on Saturday that any agreement with the United States would not undermine Greenland’s sovereignty and that the two countries would sign the agreement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
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“We hope that the long-term uncertainty will be replaced by a binding agreement that strengthens the security of the Arctic and North Atlantic, and thus the common security within NATO and Europe, while respecting the red lines of the (Danish) Kingdom,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a social media post.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has repeatedly asserted that the United States needs to control Greenland for strategic reasons, alarming NATO ally Denmark and provoking fierce opposition from the alliance.
Key details of the agreement have not been made public, including the size of the U.S. military presence in the Danish territory and whether formal authority over foreign policy and resources will be transferred to Washington.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said the deal “recognizes Greenland’s interests” and “is in the interests of all of us.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said this was “great for NATO and Europe” as it “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions”.
“I have mixed feelings.”
But in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, residents had mixed feelings.
“I don’t know exactly what the deal is or what was signed, but I have mixed feelings every time the US and President Trump are mentioned,” Soren Kreutzmann, a 29-year-old hairdresser, told AFP news agency.
“I hope the two countries come to a good agreement, because our country needs to be protected from both the air and the sea, and Denmark has not paid enough attention to this for many years,” said Bibi Christ Jepsen, a 64-year-old educator.
President Trump, who previously said the United States wanted “ownership” of Greenland, announced that the United States would immediately begin building a large military presence in the region.
“Going forward, adversaries of the United States will never be able to establish bases, maintain a military presence, or make sensitive investments in Greenland without our express written authorization.”
President Trump has repeatedly warned that Russia and China are seeking to gain a foothold in Greenland in a strategic battle for supremacy in the warming Arctic. The State Department left no doubt that such a thing would not be tolerated.
“This agreement ensures that China and Russia cannot establish bases in Greenland, cannot send troops to Greenland, and that the necessary mechanisms are in place to prevent investment in sensitive areas,” a State Department official said.
